Celine Dion's Twins Are Growing Up Fast

There are few singers who made their mark on the '90s and '00s like Céline Dion. You couldn't turn on the radio without hearing smash hits like "Because You Loved Me," "That's The Way It Is," and, of course, "My Heart Will Go On." What's more, she didn't just rule the charts: In the aughts, the Queen of Ballads kicked off her historic residency in Sin City and became the Queen of Las Vegas.She not only fulfilled her aspirations to be a star like Michael Jackson, but her dream of having a family. 

After years of keeping it hidden, Dion went public with her relationship with René Angélil in 1993. By 1994, Dion and René got married and began to build a life with one another. January 25, 2001, would see the birth of their first baby, René-Charles Angélil. Following this, Dion embarked on another journey of parenthood, and by October 23, 2010, Dion and René became parents to Eddy and Nelson Angélil. Though their mother has been one of the most famous musicians on the planet for decades, the twins have managed to more or less stay out of the spotlight. That said, it's clear the twins and their brother are the biggest stars in their mom's eyes. As she told the Daily Mail in 2013, "There's nothing that can top being a mother." 

As Céline Dion's eldest son continues to grow into his own, Eddy and Nelson are right behind. And of course, their mom is as proud as can be.

While Céline Dion's made a point of keeping her family life relatively private, she's spoken publicly about her own infertility struggles. In the 2000s, she was one of a small handful of stars who opened up about their fertility journeys.

After her first round of IVF in 2000, Dion successfully became pregnant. She gave birth to her son René-Charles Angélil in 2001. The twins' birth, however, was a more challenging experience. In a 2013 interview with the Daily Mail, Dion mentioned that she had undergone six IVF treatments in a row. During this process, she had a miscarriage.

Luckily, Dion's sixth attempt was seemingly her last as she was able to get pregnant. In 2010, she gave birth to her twins, Eddy and Nelson Angélil. Their introduction to the world was met with open arms, but there was still some sadness that loomed around their birth. Just a month after the birth of her twin boys, Dion told Hello! magazine that there was a moment during her pregnancy when she was expecting three babies (via People). "For about a week, we thought we had triplets, but sadly on the next visit to the doctor's we only heard two heartbeats," she said. "That little baby decided to leave the space for the two others and to say goodbye to us. It happened very early during the pregnancy, but still, it shocks you." 

After enduring several grueling IVF treatments plus a miscarriage, Céline Dion introduced Eddy and Nelson Angélil to her ever-growing family in 2010. Before their arrival, of course, came the important task of naming them. 

Dion and René Angélil's eldest was named after both Dion's father and René, so one might've expected them to draw from other family members' names. Instead, they branched out a bit. On a 2013 episode of "Larry King Now," Dion told Larry King that she and René Angélil decided to name one of their twins after former South African president and activist  Nelson Mandela. "We just arrived from South Africa. Nelson Mandela had a big impact on us. It was a wonderful privilege to meet him. ... So we said, 'If we expect a child and it's a boy, what do you think of Nelson?'" she recalled.

Of course, they couldn't give only one of their twins such a significant name. Dion decided she would name her other son after a person who played an important role in her career. They named Nelson's brother after Eddy Marnay, a notable music producer who helped Dion with her first five albums. "Eddy for Eddy Marnay," she told King. "Eddy Marnay is a French lyricist who unfortunately passed away and he wrote all my French records. ... He's my dad in show business."

Following Eddy and Nelson Angélil's birth, Céline Dion continued to give her all to motherhood. This was especially apparent early on when Dion was seen traveling with her newborns, even when she had career obligations that she needed to fulfill. Along with keeping them by her side at all times, Dion seemingly enjoyed the connection she felt nursing her babies. 

In a 2012 interview with ABC News, correspondent Juju Chang sat down with Dion to speak about her musical ventures and how family life has impacted her career. Chang then asked Dion about a rumor she heard about Nelson still being breastfed, which Dion confirmed. "One of my twins stopped nursing at 9 and a half months," she replied. "Nelson is 14 months and he's still nursing." While this is entirely normal, in some parts of the world, including the U.S., breastfeeding after 12 months is considered "extended breastfeeding."

The Grammy-winning singer expressed how grateful she felt to have nursed her baby for as long as she did. "It's a place that has no name. It's a place that we own. That nobody can visit except the child and the mom when the bond is happening," she stated. "It relaxes you, so the moment is extraordinary and it's amazing."

Shortly after Eddy and Nelson Angélil were born, Céline Dion told Hello! that their personalities had already started to shine through. "One is more gutsy than the other," she stated. "Nelson seems to have a little stronger personality right now. He's the tougher of the two." Over time, their personalities started to become more distinct as they continued to grow into their own. Dion only reinforced this notion in 2013 when she told the Daily Mail that the two have "very different personalities." 

When she appeared on "Larry King Now" in 2013, Dion did acknowledge that being a parent to multiples can be tough a times. "What's hard for a mom is that there's many times during the day where, for example, Nelson, will want to be with me, and the other one wants to be with me too, but he just wants me for a moment," she said. Larry King then asked Dion if there's any sort of jealousy going on between the twins, to which she responded, "They do get jealous once in a while."

All three of Céline Dion's children have rocked long manes. Her firstborn, René-Charles Angélil, eventually grew out of this look. But from an early age, it was clear Eddy and Nelson Angélil had a strong connection to their long locks.

In 2013, Dion told the Daily Mail that her twins, who were only 2 years old at the time, already showed an interest in picking out their clothes. However, that wasn't the only style-related thing they were into. When Dion appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" that same year, she noted that the youngsters were also very into keeping their hair in a certain way. "They like their long hair. I once tried to cut them a couple of times. I don't know why, if it's their attitude, their character, the way they are, the way they behave. They have so much personality," Dion said. "I cut their hair, and it doesn't suit them." 

Alas, once it was time for Dion's boys to head to school, they would have to bid their long hair farewell. "They really enjoy it, and then when school starts, the school says, 'No long hair,'" she explained. 

Céline Dion's twins, Eddy and Nelson Angélil, have always been encouraged to pursue their interests — even if those interests don't line up with traditional gender norms. As far as the Grammy-winning singer's concerned, her kids' happiness and confidence is all that matters. 

While promoting her gender-neutral collaboration with kids' clothing company NUNUNU, she spoke to CNN about letting her kids like what they like rather than worry about gender conformity. As she told the outlet, she had a lightbulb moment while visiting Disney World with her sons. "I thought they were going to go for the big superheroes. They were looking at princesses. And they all wanted to be Minnie Mouse," she said. "And then I said, 'But what about Mickey?' ... and I end up saying to myself, 'You know what, it's okay.' You know why it's okay? Because they're talking, they're finding themselves."

In a statement for the brand's website, Dion touched on how important it is to offer kids clothes that aren't geared toward a specific gender. "CELINUNUNU lets children choose outside stereotypes and norms, so they can bring from within their own tastes and preferences. We help them feel free, creative, inspired, respectful of one another, and happy in the world," she said. It's safe to say she practices what she preaches.

Céline Dion's late husband, René Angélil, suffered a number of health struggles during their relationship. The first came in 1999, when René was diagnosed with throat cancer. He underwent treatment, but he would not stay in remission forever. In 2013, he had a cancerous tumor removed from his throat. Despite the success of the procedure, the cancer returned in 2014.

While René's worsening condition left Dion with no choice but to face the reality of the situation, she remained poised as she hit pause on her music career to take care of him. On January 14, 2016, René died at their Las Vegas home. 

In addition to shouldering her own grief, Dion had to navigate the painful experience that was telling Eddy and Nelson Angélil that they had lost their father. Following an unsuccessful attempt at finding books to help her break the news, Dion told Good Housekeeping in 2016 that she leaned on a well-known Pixar movie to explain the concept of death to her 5-year-old twins. "'Up' saved my life. I said [to the kids], 'What is the movie that Ellie died in?' And they said, 'Ellie died in the movie 'Up,' Mom.'" After telling them their father was with Ellie, she said, "He went up. Everybody goes up — they don't have tubes and they're never sick."

Eddy and Nelson Angélil's involvement in Céline Dion's concert residency in Las Vegas can be traced back to when they were only a couple of months old. Though her first residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace took place in 2003, in 2011, she launched another hit show in Las Vegas. In a documentary capturing the moments before her lengthy run at the venue, Dion can be seen juggling her time rehearsing with taking care of Eddy and Nelson. Dion and René Angélil even decided to baptize both twins before her first performance as a form of good luck. 

In 2019, Dion announced a world tour for her new album, "Courage." Eddy and Nelson did not tag along on the road, but their mom spent as much time at home with them as possible. Even so, it was a big change for Dion's family. As she told People ahead of the tour, "That's going to be the first time that I'm not going on tour with my kids."

Before the tour, however, Dion had closed out her second Las Vegas residency run on June 8, 2019. The special occasion saw Dion take her final bow with René-Charles, Eddy, and Nelson all on stage, with a picture of her and their late father, René Angélil, in the background.

Eddy and Nelson Angélil mostly stay out of the limelight. However, every now and again, their mother, Céline Dion, offers glimpses into what they're up to. For example, she's shared snaps she's taken with her sons and musicians like Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger and Croatian artist Stjepan Hauser. 

One thing that remains apparent is their dedication to hockey. Though we don't know if they are interested in playing the sport like their older brother, René-Charles Angélil, they definitely seem to be avid fans of the sport. On November 1, 2023, Dion took to Instagram to share a photograph of her and her boys backstage at a Montreal Canadiens game. "My boys and I had such a fun time visiting with the Montreal Canadiens after their hockey game with Vegas Golden Knights in Las Vegas Monday night," she wrote. "They played so well. What a game! Thank you for meeting us after the game, guys! That was memorable for all of us." 

Dion and her sons have attended a number of hockey events together. In 2024, Dion had the special task of announcing the Montreal Canadiens first-round pick with Eddy and Nelson amongst the audience at the annual NHL Draft.

In 2022, Céline Dion offered a serious health update. The singer took to Instagram to announce that she'd been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, an incurable autoimmune disorder that affects the central nervous system, causing severe muscle spasms. As a result, Dion had to cancel all of her musical obligations as the disorder made it difficult for her to do her job. 

In an interview with the Australian morning show "Sunrise," Dion stated that her children are understandably worried about her condition (via Page Six). "My kids are scared because they lost their dad," she said. "They're wondering if I'm going to die." This has weighed heavily on Dion, but as she told People, she assured her kids that she'll do whatever she can to survive. "It's something that I'm going to learn to live with," she said.

After Eddy and Nelson Angélil watched her experience muscle spasms, Dion worked with her physical therapist to come up with a plan for future incidents. As she told People, they created fake drills to help teach the twins how to act during the moments their mom may need their help. In turn, Eddy and Nelson have become even more attentive to their mother at home. "This is our lives now: We care for each other, and they're so helpful," Dion expressed.

Amid the outpouring of support from her fans and celebrities alike, Céline Dion showcased the severity of her health struggles in the Amazon Prime Documentary "I Am: Celine Dion." The doc, which was centered around her stiff-person syndrome diagnosis and her drive to continue her music career despite her condition, also gave the audience a look at how her family continues to rally around her. Naturally, her twins, Eddy and Nelson Angélil, popped up in a few scenes. 

The documentary opened with Dion and her boys directing the camera crew into their home. Before the heavier content ensued, Eddy and Nelson asked their mom about her favorite color, to which she jokingly responded, "I thought you were going to ask me a very easy question, and that's not an easy question for me to answer." This wouldn't be the only moment they shared as the documentary caught various aspects of their home life. Whether it be Dion being impressed by Eddy's skills in the virtual reality game "Beat Saber," or them teaming up to make a short-form video for their butler who was out sick, the documentary offered a sweet glimpse into the legendary singer's dynamic with her twins.